The Browns came into the 2017 draft with 11 picks and a roster that was mostly devoid of talent. Cleveland walked away from the first round with three talented players and even more picks for 2018.
Browns have been aggressive with draft trades, and it’s working so far
Cleveland turned last year’s draft trade with the Eagles into seven additional picks.
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Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
This all started a few days before the 2016 draft, when Cleveland traded the second overall pick to Philadelphia so the Eagles could move up and take quarterback Carson Wentz. Since then, the Browns have been unafraid to make moves, picking up more picks along the way.
Year | Picks traded | Trade partner | New pick | First round picks gained | Second round picks gained | Third round picks gained |
|---|
Cleveland took three first-round picks, a sixth-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder and turned those selections into two additional first-round picks, two second-round picks, two third-rounders and a fourth-round selection.
It isn’t limited to the draft, either. When the Browns traded for Brock Osweiler, they got a 2018 second rounder from the Texans as part of the deal.
How many draft picks do the Browns have now?
Cleveland started out with 11 picks in the 2017 draft, including two first rounders. They sent a fourth rounder to the Packers in a trade, so they end up with 10 total for this year.
Before Thursday night, the Browns were holding 11 picks for the 2017 draft, including three second-round picks. After Thursday night’s moves, the Browns are up to 12 picks in 2018, with two first-rounders from the draft night trade with Houston.
The Browns got off to a strong start in the first round of the 2017 draft, taking Myles Garrett with the first overall pick. Garrett was the consensus top player in this draft, and he’s an instant upgrade on defense. He’ll be able to work in tandem with Jamie Collins to disrupt opposing quarterbacks.
Cleveland had been consistently linked to Mitchell Trubisky, but the Bears traded up to No. 2 to select him. Instead of reaching for a quarterback, the Browns wisely traded their 12th pick to the Texans, moving back to No. 25.
The Browns still need a quarterback, and they reportedly reached out to Washington and the Patriots about trade possibilities for Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo. Nothing materialized.
While it wouldn’t have been wise to reach for a quarterback with the No. 12 pick, if they do come out of the draft without a quarterback, that may be a problem. A lack of consistent quarterback play has plagued Cleveland since 1999, and it doesn’t matter how wisely they use these draft picks if they don’t correct that problem.
The Browns used Houston’s No. 25 pick to get versatile safety Jabrill Peppers. Peppers played linebacker in his final season at Michigan, and he is also a dynamic return specialist. Peppers will play safety at the next level, and the Browns’ secondary was ranked 29th in the league last season by Pro Football Focus. Peppers fills a real need for Cleveland, and he’s a playmaker, which is something the Browns lack on both sides of the ball.
The abundance of picks Cleveland had to work with made it easy for the Browns to trade back into the first round to take tight end David Njoku at No. 29. Njoku needs to develop as a blocker, but he’s a talented receiver, and he gives Cody Kessler or whoever is behind center for the Browns next year an athletic target.
To select Njoku, the Browns gave the Green Bay Packers the No. 33 pick and a fourth rounder. With so many picks in hand, that’s a small price to pay for a playmaker with size and speed.
Stockpiling picks has become a hallmark of the Browns’ approach to the draft since the team hired general manager Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson prior to the 2016 season. Cleveland also brought in chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, who is best known for his role in executing the “Moneyball” approach former A’s general manager Billy Beane used to build Oakland’s roster.
The “Moneyball” system in Major League Baseball involves using advanced statistics to find undervalued players who will cost the team less. This gave the A’s freedom to let pricy stars walk in favor of cheaper players whose metrics suggested they could help the team win.
For the Browns, the key is having enough picks to bring in young, inexpensive talent the team can use to rebuild. They’ve got that part down, and they just need to use them wisely. Based on the first round, the Browns are off to a good start.
It’s clear after last season’s 1-15 finish that the Browns need an infusion of talent on both sides of the ball. The wheeling and dealing Cleveland has done in the draft leaves the Browns in a good position to make that happen over the next six rounds.
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